Arachnos
Overview Arachnos is one of the main factions in the City of Heroes/Villains universe. This villain group of dark origins resides today more or less permanently in the Rogue Isles and is the personal tool of Lord Recluse in his neverending fight with Statesman. Having sub-divisions of specialists, immense resources and no few powerful villains in his ranks, Arachnos can be considered a true army. Despite its immense power (or perhaps because of it), life in Arachnos is not easy and the fights between the different inner factions seem to be something relatively common. Arachnos only believes in the survival of the fittest and is not friendly towards costumed villains. Sometimes allied and mostly hostile to villains, this villain group can be found in City of Villains by a player during his whole career. Arachnos soldiers feel even less love for heroes, and will attack them on sight. In City of Heroes, a Hero who wishes to fight them will have to go to Faultline, Siren's Call or Recluse's Victory, or enter mission in Bloody Bay, Siren's Call or Warburg. Background Arachnos official info ( Copied from the City of Villains official website http://www.cityofvillains.com/gameinfo/arachnos.html): For young villains, their greatest ally is also their most dangerous foe. At the bidding of Lord Recluse, Arachnos has broken possible destined ones from the Zig. Once free of this prison, Arachnos agents feel no compulsion to help as these ‘Children of Fate’ make their way in the dangerous world of the Rogue Isles. Built upon the notion that only the fittest should survive, Arachnos was formed in the early part of the 20th Century in Italy. Although the true history of Arachnos remains shrouded, this organization was around long before “Il Recluso” wrested power away from its original founder, “The Weaver”. It remains unclear exactly how Lord Recluse took over the global network of Arachnos though betrayal and murder surely played a role. After taking over, Recluse subtly shifted Arachnos’s priorities and interests to better suit his own ideological goals. After ruling Arachnos for many years, Recluse went underground to weave his web of deceit before eventually emerging as the “legitimate” leader of the Rogue Isles. Now he controls the Isles and is, technically at least, considered a political figure—though he privately relishes the rare times he’s able to get blood on his hands. Ruling a nation has allowed Lord Recluse to create armed forces, purchase military hardware, and even research alien technology. Covertly, his agents have spread throughout the world, he has spies or contacts in every major “villain group,” and Paragon City is the juicy fly wiggling at the fringe of his growing web. Recluse will not rest until he has wrested the City of Heroes from Statesman’s grasp. Lord Recluse now rules Arachnos with an iron fist demanding blind loyalty and unswerving devotion from those who survive long enough to serve him. Under his guidance, Arachnos has become a multi-faceted and deadly group. While Arachnos agents will ignore minor infractions, major crimes draw immediate action. In the eyes of Lord Recluse, anyone reckless enough to commit murder, grand larceny, or acts of mass destruction is either uncontrollable or powerful enough that he wants to control them directly. Woe to the Arachnos agent that crosses the line far enough to bring the dreaded Arachnos Arbiters into the matter. Outside the extensive military organization, every island has a civilian Governor and a military Marshal. The Governor decides the island’s domestic affairs while the Marshal rules all matters of security and defense. In a dispute, the Marshal has seniority. Both are appointed directly by Lord Recluse. Failure is not tolerated, and turnover is quite high, particularly among the Governors. Today Lord Recluse is a tyrant, ruling all of Arachnos in order to maintain tight control over the Rogue Isles. As he protects his territory from the meddling of Longbow and other do-gooders from Paragon City, Recluse also prides himself in being one step ahead of Statesman and the Freedom Phalanx as he continues to weave his intricate web. Villain Types Subgroups * Wolf Spiders * Mu Mystics * Night Widows * Fortunatas * Crab Spiders * Arachnobots and Drones * Tarantulas * Bane Spiders Elite Bosses Arachnos Heavy Blaster Lord Recluse discovered that Black Scorpion had built these enormous walking tanks to attack Mako in another of their inter-patron squabbles. Lord Recluse seized these monstruous war machines for his own use in Recluse's Victory. Loyalists like you will now be able to wield their destructive capabilities in battle! Their lack of speed is more than compensated for with its impressive firepower and heavy armor. The Arachnos Heavy Blaster is an awesome asset to any villain who's looking for an edge in battle. Powers Dr. Aeon Main Article: Dr. Aeon An unethical scientific genius, Dr. Aeon is not a man to be trifled with. Some think he may soon become a major player within Arachnos, assuming he survives the plans of his enemies. Powers Hugo Main Article: Hugo Hugo Figure was once just an innocent boy who dreamed of escaping the Rogue Isles with his girlfriend Gally Ido. Unforunately, his psychic powers drew the attention of Arachnos, and he was betrayed by Westin Phipps and forced into the Bane Spiders. Recently freed from Bane Spider mind control, now he's fighting to free the other Bane Spiders and return to the girl he loves. Archvillains Arbiter Sands Main Article: Arbiter Sands Arbiter Sands is considered a somewhat unconventional member of the Arachnos Arbiter Corps. Though still completely dedicated to the will of Lord Recluse, Sands is known for using unusual and effective tactics. His status as an Arbiter makes him untouchable within Arachnos, for to harm an Arbiter is to attack the will of Lord Recluse himself... Powers * Summon Drones * Shotgun * Rifle Butt Night Widow Nocturne Main Article: Night Widow Nocturne The Night Widows serve Arachnos as elite assassins and spies. It is whispered among their murderous ranks that a Night Widow code-named Nocturne may be the deadliest operative Arachnos has ever produced. No living soul knows any details of her history, just rumors of her ruthlessness and tales of her many victims. Some suspect that her only weakness might be her arrogant pride, but none have survived to exploit it. Powers * Invisibility Dr. Quatrexin Main Article: Dr. Quatrexin The original invetor of the Black Scorpion armor has made some improvements in his latest re-design. He may not be as skilled in the suit as Black Scorpion himself, but he's still an extremely lethal combatant. Powers Barracuda Main Article: Barracuda Barracuda, a former treasure hunter, Kelli Forston was infected by mysterious creatures known as the Coralax. What she found in the briny deep remains a mystery, but it turned her heart as dark and cold as the depths. In combat, she is almost as quick and savage as her bloodthirtsy mentor, Captain Mako. Powers Ice Mistral Main Article: Ice Mistral Irena Rudenko was chosen by one of the Monks of the Four Winds to become the Ice Mistral. receiving the power changed her; she retained the icy-cold aloofness and desire for mastery of the wing, but none of the control. Her own rage overrode the honor normally imbued to the Knights of the Wind and she went on a mad killing spree. Scirocco took her under his wing to protect her from the Monks - many of which have fallen trying to reclaim their lost power. Powers Silver Mantis Main Article: Silver Mantis Tamura Shirai is fascinated with the smooth, sleek feel of metal. Funding the augmentation of her body to pure metal was an expensive proposition, however, so she tuned to crime. During one of her robberies, she encountered Black Scorpion, on a job for Lord Recluse. Tamura realized an opportunity when she saw it, and rather than fighting with Arachnos over the ill-gotten loot, formed an alliance that has lasted unto this day. Powers Wretch Main Article: Wretch A twisted wreck of a human being, Wretch was horribly mutated in the same incident that slew Ghost Widow. He remains her loyal guardian and protector, using his immense strength and savage fury to protect her from all harm. Powers (Lvl 15-20) ''(Lvl 35+) (25% health and below) Dr. Aeon ''Main Article: Dr. Aeon An unethical scientific genius, Dr. Aeon is not a man to be trifled with. Some think he may soon become a major player within Arachnos, assuming he survives the plans of his enemies. Powers Magus Mu'Drakhan Main Article: Magus Mu'Drakhan Magus Mu'Drakhan is a leading figure among the growing ranks of mystic working under the banner of Arachnos who trace their lineage to the ancient civilization know as Mu. Mu'Drakhan's main interests lie both in expanding his already formidable arcane power, and uncovering the history of the lost civilization of Mu. He also holds a bitter anger at the Circle of Thorns, who draw their magical powers from the mystic secrets of Oranbega, the ancient enemy of Mu. Some whisper that he may be more loyal to his ancient bloodlines than to Arachnos, but such whispers are often quickly silenced. Powers Regent Korol Main Article: Regent Korol Regent Korol is one of the few Fortunatas that have chosen to devote themselves fully to Arachnos by becoming powerful Tarantula Queens. Through the process, she gained immense psychic abilities, which she uses to protect Arachnos from infiltration. Powers Shadow Spider Main Article: Shadow Spider Shadow Spider began her career as a Knife of Artemis, specializing in infiltration and intelligence jobs that no one else thought possible. Now working with Arachnos, Shadow Spider acts friendly and nice, and is usually very good to her people, but can turn cold as ice and hard as steel when she needs to be. Viridian Main Article: Viridian Viridian is a very dangerous man who works subtle deals that can change the course of world history. The core of his job is influencing other villain groups through manipulation, sabotage, deal brokering, or collaboration, as it suits the needs of Arachnos. There is some rivalry between his organization of manipulators and Shadow Spider's spies, but both know that they can only suceed at their job with the help of the other. Black Scorpion Main Article: Black Scorpion Black Scorpion is a man encased in a large, bulky suit of high-tech battle armor. Huge and menacing, the armor is equipped with a functioning scorpion-like tail on the backside, and the right arm ends in an intimidating blaster cannon. Powers Captain Mako Main Article: Captain Mako Gideon Ray is a savage Mutant who has evolved into what only can be described as a humanoid shark. His acts are even more terrible than his appearance, and few foes are even identifiable once Captain Mako is through with them. Mako is responsible for the death of Sharkhead Isle's most famous hero, Scrapyard. Powers * Spin (Lethal) * Elude '''(Self +Defense,+Run, +End Recov) * '''Chum Attack (Ranged, Toxic, Damage over Time, Toxic) Ghost Widow Main Article: Ghost Widow Beautiful, mysterious, and deadly. Ghost Widow appears to be an actual spirit from beyond the grave rather than a super with some sort of incorporeal power. Some have said she was once a rising star in the Night Widows when she was slain. Her thirst for vengeance must have been great, for she returned from the void and now serves at Recluse's side. There are rumors that her service isn't entirely voluntary, however. Powers * Soul Storm Scirocco Main Article: Scirocco Imad Malak was not always an evil man. Evil came to him from without. He was traveling in the deep desert near the Baka Valley deep in the Middle East. There he discovered an ancient tomb and stumbled inside. The tomb was that of a long-dead desert hero, and contained several objects of power including the bottle of the djinn Serafina. Also within was the hero's scimitar that granted the weilder incredible powers. Malak took the sword and donned the mantle of Scirocco. Unforunately, he fell under a curse and was driven to commit acts of great evil. He sold the other objects off to the highest bidder, the bottle ending up with the Circle of Thorns. Once a hero of the people, he is now a dark stain on their proud heritage. Imad wishes nothing more than to find some way to rid himself of the curse and find redemption. Powers Lord Recluse Main Article: Lord Recluse The Master of Evil, the Count of Cruel, the Archvillain of Anarchy. Lord Recluse has been called many things. But the people of the Rogue Isles know him as their lord and ruler. Lord Recluse has a mysterious tie with Paragon City's own Statesman - some even claim they were once close companions. Their hatred for one another certainly belies a secret perhaps best left buried. Powers Giant Monsters Arachnos Flier Main Article: Arachnos Flier The Arachnos Flyers are used primarily for troop deployment. If you see one, run. Named Enemies Wolf Spider Ghost (Minion) These Wolf Spiders have discovered a method to become living ghosts. Though they are not completely used to it, they have already begun to master their new ghostly powers. Powers Wolf Spider Huntsman Ghost (Boss) These Wolf Spiders have discovered a method to become living ghosts. Though they are not completely used to it, they have already begun to master their new ghostly powers. Powers Doctor Geist (Boss) Doctor Geist is a mad scientist working for Arachnos on a project involving mutant spiders! He is also a long time rival of his former colleague, Doctor Creed. Powers White Lightning (Boss) Main Article: White Lightning White Lightning was a fool to think he could defect to Longbow without bringing down the wrath of Arachnos. Take him out and you will be moving up in the world. Powers Dr. Aeon (Elite Boss) An unethical scientific genius, Dr. Aeon is not a man to be trifled with. Some think he may soon become a major player within Arachnos, assuming he survives the plans of his enemies. Special Arachnos Mini Blaster (pet) Main Article: Arachnos Mini Blaster The Arachnos Mini-Blaster is a miniaturized and mass produced version of the Arachnos Heavy Blaster found in Recluse's Victory Arbiter Drone (guard) These deadly Drones have been dispatched by the Arachnos to maintain control and order. The Drones quickly deal with any nearby threaths by simply vaporizing the target. Powers Named Bosses * Arbiter Sands (Arbiter?) * Bane Spider Zapan (Bane Spider Executioner - Found on Find out what's happening to the Bane Spiders from Westin Phipps * Expedition Commander (Crab Spider Longfang) - Found on Stop Dr. Aeon's unauthorized dimension hopping from Technician_Naylor * Huntsman Ohanko (Wolf Spider Huntsman) * Mistress Xirce (Tarantula Mistress) * Mu'Jukar (Mu Adept) * Mu'Thekesh (Mu Guardian) * Operative Barrow (Bane Spider Executioner, Mu Guardian, Fortunata Mistress) * Operative Bligh (Tarantula Queen) * Operative Boddicker (Tarantula Queen) * Operative Burns (Fortunata Mistress) * Operative Greench (Crab Spider Longfang) * Operative Lo Pan (Bane Spider Executioner, Mu Guardian) * Operative Moriart (Mu Guardian) * Operative Orrik (Crab Spider Longfang) - Found on Stop Orrik's surveillance mission from Kelly Uqua * Operative Ratched (Tarantula Queen, Crab Spider Longfang) * Operative Scorpio (Bane Spider Executioner) * Operative Torrance (Bane Spider Executioner) * Operative Unger (Crab Spider Longfang) * Operative Whorfin (Fortunata Mistress) * Ritual Incanter (Crab Spider Webmaster) - Found on Speak with Arbiter Daos mission from Scirocco * The Boss (Fortunata Mistress) * The Council Spy (Wolf Spider Huntsman) * Wren (Tarantula Mistress) Category:Enemies Other Facts/Notes * Though the Archvillains in Recluse's Victory are considered to be Level 54, a Controller may stack one to two mezzes and they will usually effect. (i.e. two Mesmerizes stacked quickly may put any of the Archvillains to sleep)